Tetramand Kick Off
by ShinyShiza
Summary: A chance encounter... A lucky savior... The big adventure! Jared and Kay go through the universe, and become Tetramands! OCxOC later on!
1. Meet Jared and Kay

Earth: 10:00 A.M.

Trustwood High

Campus Grounds

"Ha, loser!" Donny yelled at another student, knocking his books out of his arms. The victim was very cross inside, but he couldn't do anything about it. He wasn't a loser, exactly, but Donny picked on him with a ferocity. Donny and his "lackeys" beat him up thoroughly biweekly, but always jumped the poor 110 lb. teen at the least expected times. Other times, like now, he was pushed around briefly.

"Don't listen to him, Jared. He's just an insecure piece of dirt. And that's why he pushes you around. And why he also pushes Gary, Jim, and Brad around, too." Kay called out to him. Kay was 5'6'' and thin around her waist, with not so prominent hips. Her bust was average, but not that Jared was thinking about that. Okay, he was for a second. Today, she was wearing a cyan sweater, with blue high top sneakers, and a jade green skirt that came to her knees. She had her hair dyed purple, but it was amazingly shiny. It was tied in a ponytail. Jared wasn't the best friends with her, but they still talked now and then. Brad was one of Jared and Kay's best friends. In fact, that was how the two met in the first place.

"Thanks Kay. But no one else is jacked up as terribly as I am by him..." Jared replied.

"I was trying to be optimistic..." Kay deadpanned. "But, it's unfortunately true. I don't know what Donny thinks he's achieving by assaulting you at random."

"I wish I knew, too. But I figured out that it's not at random at all." Jared was deep in thought.

"How do you know?" Intrigued, Kay waited intently.

"I believe he does it biweekly, beating me to a pulp. But it's when I'm vulnerable. Like at night or in an alley or both or something."

"Too cliché to me..."

"I know, right?"

School ends, and Jared and Kay part ways. Kay runs to her house, two blocks away. Jared gets on his bike and begins to pedal. And guess who's waiting?

"Get ready... One... Two... Three!"

Jared wasn't sure what happened first. A bucket of crude oil was suddenly spilled in front of his bike's front tire. Trying to stop, which is never a good idea, Jared was sent skidding, then was launched off his bike, hitting the grass (thank god), but breaking his foot (I thought too soon), and just lay there. Groaning in pain, Jared heard some lady call the cops. And he blacked out.

Jared wiggled around, feeling like he was covered in some sheet. Oh, wait, he was. Looking around, he saw that his foot had a cast. He smelled hospital food. He wasn't eating that crud! Never again!

Jared saw a window to his left, seeing a fly on the window. Or was it a beetle? There was nothing else unusual about the room, though. A small, crappy television was on the upper right corner, facing him. But it was worse: A sign said out of order. "So I can't even watch the news... Oh, joy."

The beetle was watching Jared from the window. Except it wasn't even a beetle. It wasn't even organic: It was a spy camera.

In Space

Earth's Orbit

Right Over Jared

"Ah, what an odd boy. He seems like a person we can use for the DNA and RNA testing. A perfect specimen. We will land in an hour." A lanky, cyan crystal skinned alien spoke from behind a mask, watching Jared from an incredibly enormous screen. The screen was from the perspective just outside of a window. His orange eyes could be seen inside the glass, and his voice was deep and raspy. He wore pure black, with a blue stripe down the center, up until his shining platinum belt ended his top. The rest was a pure black, spandex tights, and black boots with white soles. He was holding a glass of red liquid, tilting it gingerly from side to side. The liquid was then brought to his mouth, and slowly disappeared down his gullet. A bunch of little black and white men were tampering with the ship's controls. After setting the timer for landing at specified coordinates, the men then merged into one, similarly sized creature.

"Ready and waiting, sir!"

"Excellent..."


	2. Worst Birthday EVER!

"Sigh..." Jared sat still in his hospital bed, listening, at least, to "Starships" and then "Galaxies".

"I guess it is space themed, huh?" Kay walked in, alongside Jared's mother.

"Yup! Hey Mom! Kay!" Jared greeted. Kay had a "this again, huh?" face on, and Jared's mother was worried, but relieved.

"Thank the Heavens! It's only a broken foot!"

"Yeah! It wasn't bad!" Jared had quite the history with Donny. Oh, what luck he had that time! Speaking of which, it was now playing "Donny Boy"... Really not a fun reminder.

"Dang, even the hospital's got it out for you!" Kay laughed, poking at Jared's ribs.

"Ha, ha..."

"You know, Jason, dear," Jared's mom told him, "you get your resilience from your father's side."

"Ha, ha! How so?"

"Well, his ancestors were very strong, and could resist a lot of punishment. Your father wasn't as strong, though. Also, he said that they had reddish skin. I think it was just a tan, though!"

"Or sunburn." Jared and Kay looked at each other for a moment, then laughed. They both thought the same things sometimes. It was just weird.

"I hope you have room for cake!" Jared's mom cheerily brought out a coconut pound cake. "For your birthday!"

"Too bad this is my second birthday in the hospital," Jared groaned, but grinned when he was handed a slice. Kay refused, because she was allergic to coconut. Jared's mom ate half of hers, before something strange was across her face. "What's wrong, Mom?"

"Ms. Jacobsen?" Kay was also concerned.

"Oh... my heart hurts... that's all..."

Then, Mary Jacobsen fell to the ground, twitching!

"Oh my GOSH!" Kay cried. " Ms. Jacobsen is having a heart attack! Someone hurry!"

"Mom! Oh, no MOM! MOOOOOOM!" Jared yelled, barely able to see his mother from his onerously achieved sitting position. He was sobbing, crying out his mother's name.

Paramedics rushed in, grabbing Mary Jacobsen in a stretcher, and whisking her off to another wing.

Just Outside

Above Hospital

"All ready, sir!" a band of various aliens were grouped together, to ensure capture of the target. One was an adult Florauna, with green, slender limbs and a singular eye. It had Venus Flytrap shoulder blades, and seeds on its back. Another was a Galvan, and a Galvanic Mechamorph carrying the little frog. Then, the Galvan spoke...

"We will surely seize the target. If the rumors are true of the adolescent's fraction of Tetramand lineage."

"Then do it, Xerxes. And the two of you better follow his orders. Understood?"

"Yes, Master Saphiric!" They shouted in unison.

"Good."

Now the Florauna spoke: "What about the girl?"

"Bring her, as well. The less witnesses, the better. You understand, Largrest? We don't want the plumbers catching on."

"YES SIR!" Another united cry.

In Hospital

"C'mon, Mom... You can beat this! Please be ALIVE!" Jared was gritting his teeth in hopefulness, but also pure worry. Why did this have to happen on his birthday? WHY?

Kay was beside him, holding the edge of his bed. Jared was only hoping his mother would survive. Kay was also hoping as well, soon beginning to tilt towards Jared in an empathetic gesture. Both were staring now at the curtains, and, after an eternity, a nurse walked in, with a solemn frown. "We are so sorry... Mary is –" But the nurse was cut off, knocked out by a strange black, formless slime. Then, the window burst from the left side of the room, scattering glass, and a plantlike, monocular creature with terrifying shoulders slid into the room. Jared and Kay looked at these things like they were aliens. Wait, they were. Being beaten up by the school bully was bad enough. Being in the hospital with your mother dying, and being abducted or killed by aliens, all on your birthday? That sucked!

"Greetings, Earthlings!" A little frog creature hopped onto Jared, nerve pinching him, thus rendering the teen unconscious.

"Hey!" Kay growled at the Galvan, when the Florauna grabbed her around the waist. She responded by thrusting her elbow into his face.

"Augh! Nice fighting fire in you. I like that!" Largrest chuckled. Kay was unsettled by the voice in which the plant was talking to her. And who wouldn't be?

Xerxes nerve pinched Kay, and she blacked out, too.

The Ship

Somewhere In Tetramand Territory

"Uh... what happen – Holy CRAP!" Jared awoke with a start, taking in his new surroundings. It was definitely a spacecraft. Though this room was rather small, it housed a surfeit of technologies that most of Earth probably never seen before. Likewise, neither did Jared. And a small, circular window shown the void of space outside. Then he remembered how he got here: the creepy aliens barging in on Kay and Jared; the nurse, bearing terrible news, getting knocked unconscious; a little voice saying "Hello, Earthlings"... Wait... his mother and KAY!

Too bad I'm strapped here... not that my broken foot wouldn't be the real burden, anyways...

But where was Kay? Was she aboard? Was she dead? Was it even his birthday anymore? No... why would he think something so meaningless at a time of risk like this? The real problem at hand was Kay.

But he might need to get out of here, first. Jared began to twist his arms and legs, when he figured out something odd: Was his foot healed? He wiggled his toes on both feet. Yes, it was.

Now he truly put effort into his escape, as he twisted and turned, thrashing to no avail. He took deep breaths, and this time slowly attempting to undo the straps that held him to the metal board. He patiently picked at the right hand's strap first, and the strange material slipped off with some effort. Now for the other arm. He picked the left wrist strap with greater ease, and the teen then freed himself from the bindings around his ankles.

Jared now had to be careful. He didn't want anybody to spot him. He quietly slipped across the room, nearing the door, which quietly slid open automatically. He shimmied around the left corner, looking into the room he had left, then turned to run down the hall to the left. He stopped instantly when he bumped into something hard as a rock. Jared saw clean, black clothes on some really lanky creature with arms a shining cyan. Swallowing hard, Jared slowly looked up at the alien in front of him, while simultaneously backing away. The crystalline head came to a point in the back, and was the same cyan color. His orange eyes seemed to be playful, and he appeared to be smiling. On instinct, Jared swiveled around and bolted in the other direction. "Stupid cameras!" he hissed.

Jared could hear the footsteps of the alien clacking slowly on the floor. Then, he heard the alien speak: "What's the matter? A Tetramand like you should be able to do some damage to me. We should be even."

"What the heck's a 'Tetramand'?" Jared questioned to himself, but a little too loudly for his taste.

"It's what you are." came the stoic reply.

"Very descriptive!" Jared satirized, now checking the rooms he passed by, seeing how the alien wasn't running. He kept seeing into empty rooms, until he began finding other aliens inside the next several rooms. All of whom he recognized. "Oh crap!"

"Let me be more specific: Red skin, durability, strength... How is that?"

"I guess no one got the memo that my father is dead, along with whatever perks that came with being a 'Tetramand', or whatever..."

Jared found Kay's captive room, and rushed inside to free her, to her glee.

"Quickly, now!" She whispered.

Jared freed her left arm, then both her legs. Kay unbound the right wrist, and they ran out, continuing down the path Jared was running down.

"Where's the engine room or control room?" Kay pried.

"I wish I knew!" Jared answered, sweat beading down his forehead. Fortunately, the two found the control room, and ran in. Many little black and white creatures, identical to each other, looked on in shock as the two rushed in to save themselves. Kay punched one, and the rest also yelped. Jason got the idea to hit one of them, but Kay knocked one unconscious already, knocking the others out, as well.

Jared then rushed over to the controls, to find that, not surprisingly, it was impossible to work by one human. "Crap."

"What's the plan?"

Jason shuddered when his voice replied: "What plan?"

"And how could you think of one, right?"

"Duh."

"Well, we have to do something!"

Jared paused for a moment, then replied, "You beat up the aliens that come through here, aside from the crystalline person, while I try to figure this thing out!"

"Great plan..." Kay deadpanned.

"Got any better ideas?"

"It sucks, but no..."

Jason went to work, pressing some buttons, and pulling some levers. He almost pushed a crimson button, but halted himself. "Never push the red button!" he cried.

Meanwhile, Kay was punching the Florauna in the face, while kicking the Galvan and Galvanic Mechamorph away from Jared's position. The Galvin was unconscious, but the blob was still a hazard. Kay soon kicked Largrest in the torso, sending him through the doorway. The plant was going to rush back in, but looked left to see the crystal alien stepping in instead. Kay by now had kicked the Mechamorph down, it slapping against the wall with a splat.

In the meantime, Jared had pressed one button that looked promising. But soon he heard a liquid being poured in a cup, and looked to his right. "Alien beverage. Great. Why would they have one of these in the center?" Jared then stopped when he heard Kay yell.

"Let go of me, jerk!" Kay cried. Jason turned around swiftly, and then looked angry.

"Don't struggle, dear, because it'll only make things worse." The crystalline alien told Kay, holding her by the wrist and leg of the left side of her body.

"She said to 'let go' of her!" Jared stoically remarked, growling at the crystal man.

"That's right. I heard that. But I'm ignoring her," the man smirked at Jared's expression, which turned furious.

"Stop it now, you talking statue!"

"Are you going to release the power within?" Saphiric asked calmly. It was really ticking Jason off.

"What don't you get about 'let her go'?!" Jason roared, kicking Saphiric in the only place he knew how to, with his left foot again succumbing to pain as an incredibly sickening crunch was heard.

Jason jolted back and hissed loudly, balancing on his right foot while clutching his left. "Nngh!" he winced and scowled at Saphiric's disappointed face.

Saphiric then knocked Kay out, while then proceeding to render Jared back to dreamland. A punch to the solar plexus did the trick.


	3. The Gang's All Here, and Doomed

Tetramand Territory

Warlord Gar's Fleet

"My lord, there is a spaceship heading for our fleet right now," a soldier calls out to Warlord Gar, with Princess Looma beside him.

"What are the passengers?" Gar asked firmly.

"The crew is a wanted group of vigilantes that send aliens or demi aliens to the planet they came from. Their intentions are technically considered pure, but they do it with force. Xerxes, a Galvan; Largrest, a Florauna; Carpiec, who I forgot the species for; Xerxes II, a Galvanic Mechamorph; and, finally, the leader, Saphiric – "

"Saphiric, huh? That fool thinks he can enter here sporadically?" Gar had an expression of distaste.

"Well, they have two prisoners, sir. Both appear to be human; there is a male and a female on board. They seem to have no Tetramand blood in them, as far as appearances go."

"Do we fire at them?" Another soldier asked.

"No. I'll just have to see why Saphiric wants to pawn two humans on my planet. Let them on the craft, now."

"Of course, Lord Gar."

Several Minutes Later...

"Hey, let go of me! Where are you taking us? Who the heck are you?"

"You can call me Commander 'Saphiric', boy," Saphiric told Jared, not even looking at the angered and confused human in his right arm while speaking to him.

"Well, 'Commander', where are you taking us?" Jared was fuming now.

"I thought it would be obvious," Saphiric chuckled. "but I'm taking you to Warlord Gar's fleet, to reintroduce you to the Tetramand species.

"I told you, I don't belong here!" Jared looked at Kay, who was being carried by Largrest. "And Kay shouldn't be here even more so!"

"That's what they all say. You should be thankful that I healed your foot again," Saphiric was still stoic while saying this. "And I'm guessing that this 'Kay' is the girl I captured."

"Great inference skills," Jared deadpanned.

"Why, thank you, gentleman!" the Commander deadpanned back.

"Darn, that backfired..." Jared muttered in disappointment.

"Here we are, boy. The Suit Room," Saphiric announced. "You should put on a suit now, because we will force you out in space either way. You place the core on your chest, and it will form to fit your body shape."

Jared made a deep throated growl, but complied, slapping the core on his chest. He was a little surprised when the suit wrapped around his body quickly, despite the forewarning. Largrest slapped a core on his chest, as well, and then slapped one on Kay, too. The other aliens also put one of them on themselves, the last being the Commander himself.

Then, they proceeded to the bridge. Jared would have jumped if his captors didn't hold him so he couldn't.

Inside the main ship, Kay just came to, kicking and punching and elbowing Largrest in a fury. Largrest was calling for assistance, but Saphiric just appeared amused at his second in-command's displeasure. Jared just wished he and Kay would have led normal lives, ignoring the chaos behind him.

"Let me go, you dumb weed!" Kay was shouting.

"Hold her still!" Xerxes cried. Right when they walked through the door to the main room, he nerve pinched Kay, who fell back asleep.

"Okay, 'Commander'," Jared told the boss man, "this is my final time asking this: Is this some kind of sick joke? Because it BETTER BE!"

"No, it isn't. Oh, by the way," Saphiric replied, then leaned in closer to Jared, "Happy Birthday."

The Commander shoved Jared to the ground several paces away, as Largrest pitched the unconscious Kay to the ground beside Jared.

"I told you to leave her out of this!" Jared spoke with a raging edge, glaring at the jerks who dumped them here.

"Sorry, no witnesses allowed to return," Saphiric told the distraught Jared. Jared grew much more angry, and somehow began to feel stronger. He gritted his teeth, then broke the ropes, confining his arms and torso, with only a little effort. Saphiric now looked at the boy with confirming, orange eyes and a smirk. Gar looked at Jared with surprise, then smiled pleasantly. This 'hunt' might have been an actual a success.

"As if anyone would believe her if she suddenly yelled to the Earth: One of my friends was just abducted by aliens, and I was, too! She'd be shoved in an insane asylum for weeks, months, or years! And she knows that as well as I do!"

"I guess you do not watch that 'television' as much as most everyone else on the Earth, then," Saphiric was honestly surprised, but remained stoic while saying this as a deadpan. Then he began to walk away, when Jared interrupted him with a yell.

"What the heck is that supposed to mean?! And this wasn't a 'Happy Birthday'! I was in the hospital for the second birthday in a row, and my mother died, in case you missed that part! And I'm taken, abducted by aliens, to the expanse of space. Against my will, might I add! And my friend, Kay, can't return home because she's a 'witness'? Why do you think she'll miraculously get help from a planet with so low technology, that it can't even travel far past its own satellite?! How do explain THAT?!" Jared yelled in a rant, but Saphiric just calmly replied back...

"The Underground... Plumbers... The girl's parents were Plumbers. Look them up," he replied. Then he resumed walking away, when he saw that Jared rushed toward him. But he noticed the instant when Jared yelled again.

"What do plumbers have to do with space? They help people with pipes, running water, and junk! I know, because I saw some before! And my mom said that my father was one, too!" Jared yelled, as he charged for Saphiric, when the crystalline alien grabbed him by the neck, and lifted him up.

"It is a codename, fool."

"Y-you calling me a l-liar?" Jared taunted.

"I never said that." The crystal man tossed Jared aside, the boy landing with a thud. Jared looked at Saphiric, and Saphiric looked back, when Jared's eyes widened in shock.

"Guys?! Get out of here! Now!" Jared shouted at some people behind Saphiric, and Saphiric turned around, surprised at what he saw: Three teenage boys with suits on stared back at him in fear.

"Props to you, Jared. Now we're dead," Brad deadpanned, still retaining nothing short of an expression of absolute terror.

"We're screwed," Gary added, about to jump into space if he could get off the ship.

"That, my friends, is an understatement..." Jim finished, shivering. He was about to wet his pants.

"Well, who do we have here?" Saphiric pondered aloud, walking towards Brad. "And how did they get past our cameramen?" He looked back to Carpiec, who pointed to Kay. Saphiric grunted, then looked back to the three teenage boys, quivering like leaves.

"Oh, no. I'll I was going to do today was meet Jared for his birthday, and to support him with his broken foot, even though that kicked me off the Swim Team, and now I'm going to die!" Brad wailed uncontrollably, ticking off the entirety of the occupants of the ship. Then Kay began to stir, again.

"Uh... Brad... shut up..." Kay moaned inertly. Then, she opened her eyes, and quickly leaped to her feet. "Brad?! What's he doing here?!"

Largrest then spoke up: "Uh, oh... She's up!"

"And who wouldn't wake up," Kay retorted, "from Brad's overly audible whining?!"

"Hey!"

"It's true, man."

"So indisputably correct."

"Very supportive..." Brad grumbled.

"Is now really the time to argue about this?!" Jared groaned.

"I hardly have the patience for this," Saphiric shook his head, leaned down, and punched Brad in the gut. He then elbowed Jim in the temple, and chopped Gary in the throat. They were knocked out instantly, and then Saphiric took his suits from them. He then tossed them into the ship's main room, side by side. "We're going, now."

Kay and Jared ran up to their friends, with Jared locking eyes with Saphiric one last time. They both thought to themselves: We'll meet again.

Then, the humans were left at the mercy of the Tetramands.


	4. Hidden Powers

"Now what?" Kay whispered.

"I may or may not want to know..." Jared replied inaudibly to the Red Winds or any soldiers.

"So, you are from Earth, correct?" Gar asked, and Jared nervously nodded.

Kay then smiled politely, tilting her head girlishly. "Do you know how we can be returned home, Mr. Gar?"

"Who said you were going home, just yet?" Gar didn't fall for the polite act. But he was truly impressed by how believable it was when implemented.

"Daddy, why can't they go home?" Looma asked her father, putting her hands on her hips.

"Well, sweetie, they need to be trained for an impending return from Saphiric. He will no doubt be searching for them if they return to Earth immediately, and I'm not too keen about the fool returning here excessively. Just trust me, Looma, my daughter."

"Okay, father." Kay and Jared looked at each other nervously. Jared had the most apparent frown on him.

"Well, if you're not sure, we can just punch you around instead," Gar offered, laughing at Jared's frightened expression. "I guess you aren't used to Tetramand humor, eh, human?"

"Eheheh... no, sir..." Jared was a little embarrassed that he didn't get the joke.

"So, what do we do, Mr. Gar?" Kay asked, doing her best to look determined and strong, folding her arms and looking up at the king.

"We have to see all of your talents, in taking on a mission that my fleet has to accomplish, still." Gar got off his throne, and walked over to Kay and Jason calmly. Jason backed away a step, while Kay was thinking of it; however, Gar just took both of them and threw an upper arm around either of them. "Don't worry, outsiders... you are welcome here, due to the questionable circumstances that brought you. The five of you are working for me until further notice."

"How is a wimp like me supposed to help at all?" Jared asked the Red Wind, shaking a little. Gar looked back at Jared, smiling warmly. Jared was confused, which only increased when Gar threw him to a soldier with a long, black beard and a commonly bald head. "Woah!"

"Train him to harness his anger and Tetramand strength, Vorik."

"But I'm not that str–"

"I wonder what happened to the ropes, now on the floor..." Gar sarcastically remarked, proving his point. Jared tried to object, but he couldn't think of anything to say anymore. Gar laughed inside when seeing Jared's completely confused and bewildered face as he was carried off. After they left for the weights room, Kay was now Gar's new attention catcher.

"As for you, young lady, what might you do? Let me see..." Gar pondered Kay's talents. "I know! If you _are_ truly skilled in the martial arts, then you can spar with my daughter!"

"Uh, okay..." Kay was oddly excited, and much less disturbed than Jared was, despite how unusual the day was. She followed Looma to the sparring room in the ship, and Gar focused his new attention on the three OHKO'ed teens. Who are they, and what are their talents? Gar mused and mulled over the trio's role in the mission ahead. He doubted that Saphiric wouldn't return them if they were just normal children. He always said that he had a mind erasing device, so witnesses would not be a problem. But he was just a full time bounty hunter with a big heart, despite what he always acted like.

They must be plumber's kids and part alien, or lost their culture entirely, Gar decided silently. Those are the only two reasons anyone wouldn't be allowed to return to a planet from the vigilante's missions. Otherwise, it wasn't justified enough for Saphiric's tastes.

"Sir, a strange ship is approaching our main ship, but is piloted by a different person."

"Who is it?"

"An Anodite female. She is not in our current data banks." The soldier/ pilot replied.

"Let's see if she boards."

The Anodite did not board, but just passed the fleet in her small pod, looking into the weight room at the scene unfolding inside.

The Weight Room

…...

"So I have to lift, THIS?!" Jared exclaimed, staring at a giant metal cube, the size of Jared's height cubed. Vorik frowned at Jared.

"That is the smallest weight we have on board. Tetramands can easily lift this."

"I will prove to you Tetramands that I don't have that kind of strength," Jared told his "teacher", and proceeded to fail. The block wouldn't budge. Vorik wasn't surprised, though. He had seen only the breaking of rope by the kid, and it had been powered by rage, grief, and frustration.

"Get angry, kid," Vorik ordered Jared, who looked back in discombobulation.

"Why?" Jared asked the four armed, red skinned warrior.

"It fuels you."

"But how can I get angry?" Jared was confused, but then remembered the ropes snapping when he became furious, and the power he felt when Saphiric was saying things that were annoying to the him.

"Think of all the times that you have felt angry in the past, and now. It is simple," Vorik replied, lifting the block with ease, then setting it down, again. Jared was almost stupefied.

"Fine, I'll try..." was Jared's only reply, before walking back to the block and closing his eyes. He concentrated hard, remembering that day's events, Donny beating on him, and beating his friends, and Jared went back to the first day of Elementary School. The day he first met Donny...

"Hey, kid!" A seven year old Donny called out to a certain, front spiked, dark haired 6 year old child. The child looked up with his dark, blueish green eyes, the same color as his hair.

"Yeah?"

"Wanna play soccer?"

"YEAH!"

The two played soccer for two hours, and got in trouble with the teachers for skipping class. Then, the kids became fast friends. For three years, Donny and the kid played all the time. The kid was Jared.

"Hey, Jared, get ready for an obstacle course!" Donny called out.

Jared was excited. He loved adventures.

"Okay, Donny!" Jared called back, and turned the corner of a tree. That's when it turned all around.

Donny was on the other side of his backyard, and was ready to do something drastic. Two of his friends were behind a tree with a rope and loop, the loop under some leaves. The autumn was cold that day, and the event would serve to turn Donny into a jerk. And the water balloons didn't help fix anything, either...

The first mean gesture...

Vorik watched with fascination as Jared lifted the metal cube with a grunt, and held it over his head. After walking around Jared to see his face, Vorik saw fire in the Demi Tetramand's eyes. Jared's final thought was of Donny pelting him with water balloons during that day, and the ex friend's face during the whole thing, when he took the whole block in his right hand, and threw it far, the metal impacting the ground with a crash. Jared snapped out of it, and collapsed.


	5. Lighting in a Dim Oasis

"Hah!" Kay yelled, kicking Looma in the left, upper arm. Looma didn't flinch. Kay then punched Looma in the gut, meeting her armor. Kay winced as her fist developed a bruise. "Rrgh!"

"Hm? Humans really are weak..." Looma frowned, backhanding Kay in the cheek, sending her afar. "Dang, you went down hard... Sorry..."

"It's fine, Looma," Kay assured, standing back up quickly. The girl then dashed for Looma, who kept her guard down, for she thought Kay wasn't strong enough to hurt her. Unfortunately, Looma didn't see the grab that Kay was performing. Kay grabbed the Tetramand by the head, flipping over her gracefully. Then, Kay shouted, throwing Looma by the head with a grunt. The large woman was hurled over Kay's shoulder, flying far for a human's throw, indeed.

Kay didn't stop there, rushing in to perform a Chinese move: punching Looma in the gut, but also her face. Both upper arms blocked the face punch, and the armor did its job perfectly. Kay sweatdropped. _Of course, this move is more effective on two armed, unarmored opponents_, she thought, making a mental note: _Never do that to a Tetramand._

After some useless free hits, Kay did virtually nothing to Looma. In return, Kay had bruises just by her own attacks landing. She was panting hard, getting frustrated. What am I supposed to do?

"YAAAAAH!" Kay roared, balling her fists, and dashing for another punch; when she found that her legs cleared 5 yards in a fraction of a second; getting in front of Looma instantly, much to both of their surprise. But that wasn't all: violet light crackled in Kay's fists, radiating brightly. Kay stopped instantly, her fists unclenched, and the light dissipated quickly. "Woah," both girls murmured.

Jared awoke, to a humming noise. It turned out to be Vorik, taking a shower, head only visible. Jared looked outside: It was an expanse, but not of space: It was a windy, fierce desert. Wait... A shower in the desert? Jared wasn't a scientist or ecologist, but those two words didn't go together. At least, Jared thought, not very often. So, did this mean they were at an oasis? It would be a more logical explanation.

Jim, Gary, Kay, and Brad were nowhere to be seen from here. What had happened in the time he was out? Then, he heard a correcting voice arguing with two other voices, one of which was whining loudly. Definitely them. Jared groaned, and made his way to the room his friends were in, to see all his friends intact. What he didn't believe, was Kay's hands were glowing. No, sparking with what looked like lightning. And Jim was trying to prove to Gary and Brad that Kay wasn't completely human. Kay seemed to agree, now, and the light dispersed.

"Hey, guys!" Jared greeted, but with a defined, awkward tone. "How's it... uh... going?"

"I guess, okay?" Kay feigned a smile, more asking her thought than being sure of herself, unlike the usual attitude the now hybrid had.

Jim frowned. "How do you _think_ it is going? I am a bit torn between going home and going home."

"You said that twice!" Gary responded, being as dumb as usual.

"No... Really?" Brad sarcastically remarked.

And so the day went along, being uneventful, when Gar and Looma visited the room, unannounced, a few hours later.

"All of your DNA tests said that you all are part alien, outsiders," Gar stated, showing the diagram of the DNA results. It was in a different language, however, and Jim could barely match everyone to their specific alien counterpart.

"The results show..." Jim started, and the others intently listened in...

**Cliffhanger, PEOPLE! I want to save it for later, folks! Sorry!**


End file.
